Nexus
4, the official Google phone, is available for pre-order on Flipkart,
an e-commerce site, starting today at a price of Rs 25,990. The device
will be shipped to consumers as soon as LG, which makes Nexus 4 for
Google, officially launches it in India. The launch is expected by
Friday.
Sources said that the pre-order is part of an exclusive deal Flipkart has struck with LG.
Once
the device is officially launched, it will also be available in retail
stores across India. Sources say that details like price and
availability have already been finalized and LG is waiting for a nod
from Google before formally announcing the device.
While
Flipkart has listed only 16GB version of Nexus 4, LG is also expected
to launch the 8GB model. The price of 8GB model is expected to be around
Rs 20,000.
Nexus 4 has a 4.7-inch screen with
720P resolution. The phone is powered by a quad-core processor and has
2GB RAM. It has a 8MP primary camera and a 1.3MP front camera. But the
real appeal of the device lies in the software it runs. Like all Nexus
devices, Nexus 4 is powered by an unmodified version of Android and is
guaranteed to get updates whenever Google comes out with the new version
of the OS.
Google usually sells Nexus devices
online through its Play store. But Nexus 4 is likely to be sold only by
LG and its retail partners. When contacted, Google India refused to
comment on the Nexus 4 launch details and availability.
The
phone was launched in the global markets last year. At that time an LG
executive claimed that it would be available in India in October. But
the plans to launch it didn't materialize.
Incidentally,
Nexus 4 has appeared in India just hours before Google I/O, the
company's annual event for developers in San Francisco. Google is
expected to announce a new version of Nexus 4 at the event. It is likely
to have 32GB internal storage.
Google is also
expected to unveil Android 4.3, a new version of the OS, at the event.
Nexus 4 is likely to be among the first Android devices to get the
updated software.